Dassault Falcon adds ultra long range 8X to its fleet

May 21, 2014Comments are off

May 20, 2014, Geneva, Sui. – Dassault Aviation has launched the Falcon 8X, the newest addition to the Falcon family in the ultra long range category.

The Falcon 8X will offer a range of 6,450 nm (11,945 km) and will feature the longest cabin of any Falcon. Moreover, it will offer the same low operating economics and the remarkable operating flexibility for which all Falcons are known.

“The Falcon 8X will be our new flagship and a great complement to our product line,” announced Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO, Eric Trappier. “It builds on Dassault expertise in aerodynamics, in precision design and manufacturing, and in advanced digital flight controls. It embodies the best of Falcons that have come before with the most capability of any Falcon ever.”

“With two new aircraft in development, the 5X and 8X, Dassault will now be able to offer a family of six jets designed to meet the widest possible range of operator needs at the upper end of the business jet spectrum,” added Trappier.

With eight passengers and three crew, the Falcon 8X will be capable of flying 6,450 nm non-stop at M.80. It will be powered by an improved version of the Pratt and Whitney Canada PW307 engine that equips the Falcon 7X. Combined with improvements to wing design, the new power plant will make the 8X up to 35% more fuel efficient than any other aircraft in the ultra-long range segment, affording a corresponding savings in operating costs.

The Falcon 8X is expected to have a balanced field length of about 6,000 ft (1,829 m) and an approach speed of 106 kts (197 kph) at typical landing weight.

The Falcon 8X will be equipped with a totally redesigned cockpit modeled after the Falcon 5X. It will feature a new generation of the EASy flight deck equipped with a head-up display that combines synthetic and enhanced vision and offer a dual HUD capability.

First flight is expected in early 2015 with certification in the middle of 2016 and initial deliveries before the end of 2016.

New Cabin. New Experience.
The Falcon 8X cabin will be 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) high and 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) wide and 42 ft 8 in (13 m) long, enabling it to offer customers the most diverse selection of cabin layouts on the market. More than 30 configurations will be available. Three galley sizes, two with a crew-rest option, are available. Operators will have an extensive selection of passenger seating areas of varying lengths that can support different lavatory layouts, including a lavatory with shower.

“The Falcon 8X will be the longest cabin of any Falcon. But, more importantly, it will feature the highest level of customization of any large cabin business jet on the market,” said Trappier.

As Always, Legendary Falcon Performance.
The Falcon 8X will be equipped with three PW307D engines delivering 6,722 lbs of thrust each – a 5% increase compared to the PW307A that powers the Falcon 7X. These engines will offer a significant reduction in fuel consumption, community noise and NOx emissions.

The Falcon 8X will also be fitted with a redesigned ultra-efficient wing derived from the Falcon 7X. The wing structure has been redesigned to minimize the overall aircraft drag during cruise while achieving a 600 lb weight saving. It will also feature optimized leading edge profile and winglets. These improvements are expected to increase significantly the lift to drag ratio.

Like the Falcon 7X, the Falcon 8X will be capable of approaches up to 6 degrees, allowing it to serve challenging airports such as London City Airport; Aspen, Colorado; La Mole (Saint-Tropez), France; and Saanen (Gstaad), Switzerland that are normally not accessible to most large cabin aircraft.

With its 6,450 nm range the Falcon 8X will be also able to perform an extensive list of one-leg missions such as Beijing to New York, Hong Kong to Seattle, Paris to Singapore and Sao Paulo to Moscow.

Falcon 8X Production Underway
The Falcon 8X is already at an advanced stage of production with the first airframe expected to be assembled at Dassault’s Bordeaux-Merignac, France facility in the coming months. An extensive expansion project at Dassault’s Little Rock, Arkansas. facility will break ground shortly, enabling it to accommodate completion of the new Falcon 8X and Falcon 5X models.